American Jews and Palestinians face fear and hatred

As the repercussions of the war between Israel and Hamas are being felt around the world, Palestinians and Jewish Americans say they are feeling more fearful due to increased threats and harassment.

On October 13, hundreds of people were gathering for a peaceful rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, when a man with a gun began shouting racial slurs.

Omar Musa, who helped organize a pro-Palestinian event on the steps of the state Capitol, said people scattered and ran for their lives.

“He came to this rally to instill fear and fear in us,” the 30-year-old Palestinian-American told the BBC. “The last thing you want is to be afraid to get together with your people and talk about your truth and talk about what you believe.”

The man who allegedly pointed a gun at the crowd while spewing Islamophobic rhetoric has been charged with ethnic intimidation and making terrorist threats.

The Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee said it has received hundreds of reports of hate incidents against Palestinians, Arabs and Muslim Americans. Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League said there has been a sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents – 107 – since October 7, when the latest conflict began.

The incident drew condemnation from President Joe Biden, who said in a speech from the Oval Office on Thursday that Americans “cannot stand by and remain silent” in the face of such hatred. “I can’t do that,” he warned.

But experts and Jewish and Palestinian American leaders alike fear this trend will continue as wars continue in the Middle East.

“We are enduring a difficult situation, not only because of the intensity of the conflict, but also because of its length,” said Brian Levin, founding director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

Several major cases have already garnered national attention.

Last week, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy was stabbed to death and his mother was seriously injured in Plainfield, Illinois. The landlord allegedly targeted them because of their religion and the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Just 30 miles (48 kilometers) away in Lombard, Illinois, hate crime charges were filed against a man who threatened to shoot two Muslim men last week.

New York City police say a man punched a woman in the face on the subway because she was Jewish. In Utah, several Jewish congregations have reported receiving threats.

Rabbi Sam Spector of Salt Lake City was forced to cancel his service after an hour on Oct. 8 due to a bomb threat.

Spector said of the shocking message: “We have placed bombs in every Jewish center in Utah. They will go off within hours. You all deserve to die.”

Dozens of worshipers, including 20 children who were in a nearby room, had to be evacuated from the building.

This was not the first bombing the congregation experienced while Mr. Spector worked there. But since the war broke out this month, he said he has received more hateful and anti-Semitic messages than ever before.

“People bring their strong opinions to bear against both the local Jewish community and the local Muslim community, who are just people trying to live their lives here in America,” he said. Ta.

Safety concerns are forcing some Americans to limit their daily activities.

Last week, Mohammad Abd El-Salam received a death threat from a man in Texas who said all Palestinians “deserve to be killed.”

Abd El-Salam, national president of the Network of Palestinian American Organizations, said he has started avoiding public places and has told his family to do the same.

“It’s overwhelming,” Abd-El-Salam said. “You don’t know how to deal with it. [the war in Gaza]And at the same time, we have to worry about our own safety here and the safety of our communities across the state. ”

Rabbi Spector said security measures at the synagogue had been strengthened in recent weeks and there were plans to spend nearly $500,000 (£411,000) to improve security at the temple over the next few years. .

Still, Jews across the country are asking whether it’s safe to attend religious services, said Niv Ellis of the Jewish Federations of North America.

“Our advice at the moment is to live your Jewish life to the fullest and be careful,” he told the BBC.

Moussa said rising tensions in the Middle East pose a threat not only to Palestinians but also to multiple Muslim groups, as some mistakenly view the broader Muslim community as “monolithic”. said.

She said those wearing religious coverings such as hijab are often the most vulnerable.

“Individuals who look vaguely like minorities or immigrants are targeted,” he said. “People are now even more afraid to walk on the streets.”

Both the American Muslim and Jewish communities have long histories of dealing with discrimination and threats as minorities. But experts said hate crimes tend to increase during times of tension in the Middle East.

Jessica Winegar, a professor of anthropology and Middle East studies at Northwestern University, said the current war in Gaza has been particularly difficult.

“This is the first time there has been a killing of this magnitude in such a short period of time,” she said. “This is actually a much more tense moment in this conflict.”

The polarized nature of American politics only adds fuel to the fire, experts explained.

The heated debate over the complex and long-running conflict in the Middle East is now another point of contention between the US left and right, with those on the extremes likely to lash out at those they falsely accuse. Maybe.

Mr. Winegar said government officials and community leaders have an important role to play in condemning acts of hate and expressing sympathy for innocent civilians on both sides of the conflict.

Moussa, a Palestinian American who attended the rally at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, said he did just that at the protest, while also criticizing Israeli policies. But he believes the suffering of Palestinian civilians is being ignored by many political establishments, which has implications for the United States as well.

“This emboldens people in this country to treat us like animals, not to see us as equals, not to see us as Americans,” Moussa told the BBC.

President Biden has pledged firm support for Israel following the Hamas attack, and has called on Congress to provide $14 billion (about £11.5 billion) in additional aid to the country, which was killed in the Gaza Strip. In a speech, he expressed his condolences to the Palestinian people. nation.

“We mourn every innocent life lost. We cannot ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians who just want to live in peace and have opportunities,” he said. .

And he also addressed how outrage in Israel and Gaza could morph into hate crimes in the United States, impacting Jews and Muslims alike.

“And to all of you who are hurting…I want you to know that I see you. You belong. And I want to say this to you: You are all America.” is.”